Netflix loves its romantic comedies about as much as the lovesick characters in rom-coms love each other. And, whether it's showcasing classics or stocking up on its own originally-produced content, the streaming service proves its love of the genre with the healthy dose of first-rate romantic comedies included in its massive digital library.
Recently, Netflix has been dipping its toes into the genre with its original movies, and the results have been successful. In the same way the horror genre was on its last legs in the early '90s prior to Scream, romantic comedies have been a mostly untapped resource over the past few years. Now, with Netflix stepping up to the plate with original content like the adaptation of Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before and the workplace rom-com Set It Up, romantic comedies are edging their way back into the spotlight.
Related: Why Has Hollywood Stopped Making Romantic Movies?
So, given that combing through Netflix's selections can be taxing, we've gone ahead and chosen the best romantic comedies that the streaming service has to offer. Whether you're looking for a digestible, easy-to-swallow love story or a deeply relatable comedy of errors, there is plenty to pick from on this Cupid-friendly collection of Netflix's best romantic comedies.
- This Page: Netflix Original Rom-Coms
- Page 2: Classic Rom-Coms On Netflix
- Page 3: Alternative Rom-Coms on Netflix
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Based on the YA novel from Jenny Han (which itself is part of a book series), To All the Boys I've Loved Before centers around the self-professed forever-alone teenager Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor) whose love life takes an unexpected turn when secret love letters she had addressed to five of her crushes are mysteriously mailed to each of them. Not only a funny rom-com with charm to spare, To All the Boys I've Loved Before has been heralded as one of many movies in 2018 that have given the spotlight to Asian-American actors, storytellers, and narratives. The movie also stars Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Madeleine Arthur, and John Corbett.
Related: How To All The Boys I've Loved Before's Book Changes Will Impact The Sequel
Happy Anniversary
A Netflix Original, Happy Anniversary tells the kind of love story that exists well after the honeymoon phase of a relationship. When Molly and Sam (played by Noël Wells and Ben Schwartz, respectively) reach their three-year anniversary, they also reach a point where they're not entirely sure they're meant for each other. This bittersweet rom-com tackles an all-too-familiar realization that all couples deal with, when "love" is less about needing to be swept off your feet than it is unconditionally sharing your life with somebody. The movie also stars Rahul Kohli, Joe Pantoliano, and Annie Potts.
The Incredible Jessica James
Not unlike Forgetting Sarah Marshall (also on this list), the Netflix Original The Incredible Jessica James begins with a breakup. However, Jessica (played by Jessica Williams) finds the perfect remedy in the form of a man named Boone (played by Chris O'Dowd) who is also reeling off a breakup. Despite the fact that romance isn't exactly appealing to either of them in their vulnerable states, they see where things go regardless. Also starring Lakeith Stanfield and Noël Wells, The Incredible Jessica James is a painfully (but also pleasantly) real-life depiction of modern love.
Alex Strangelove
Another Netflix Original, Alex Strangelove is a rom-com that isn't just about a teenage boy on a familiar journey to lose his virginity, but a journey to discover his sexual identity as well. After Alex (played by Daniel Doheny) is well on his way to have sex with his girlfriend Claire (played by Madeline Weinstein), a hurdle gets in his way in the form of a boy named Elliot (played by Antonio Marziale). Now - not unlike similar situations dealt with in shows like The Real O'Neals and movies like Love, Simon - Alex isn't just on the verge of coming of age, but coming out.
Related: Love, Simon is Empowering People Around the World to Come Out
Candy Jar
Young love (but also unbridled competition) is front and center in the Netflix Original Candy Jar. Two teenagers on the high school debate team (played by Sami Gayle and Jacob Latimore) have nothing but resentment towards each other. That is, until they're forced to work together and realize that they're really not so different - even though their equally competitive mothers (played by Christina Hendricks and Uzo Aduba, respectively) don't make any shot of a budding relationship easy.
Set It Up
The movie that kicked off Netflix's new reputation as the modern rom-com maestro, Set It Up is a charming workplace comedy that explores unexpected love in corporate America. In an attempt to make their own work lives easier, Harper (played by Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (played by Glen Powell) devise a plan to set their bosses up with each other. Naturally, per unofficial rom-com rules, Harper and Charlie inadvertently double down on the romance and end up falling for each other in the process. The movie also stars Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, and Pete Davidson.
Ibiza
Most business trips are fairly dull and uneventful, but the business trip in the Netflix Original Ibiza is a distinct exception. When Harper (played by Gillian Jacobs) is sent to Barcelona for work, her two friends (played by Phoebe Robinson and Vanessa Bayer) invite themselves along - not with the intention to help her work, but to party. In the process, Harper can't help but fall for a local DJ (played by Richard Madden), and her friends help her throw inhibition to wind in an attempt to find him and see if there's any real chance at forming a legitimate relationship.
Ali's Wedding
The "complicated wedding" subgenre is no stranger to romantic comedies (see: My Best Friend's Wedding, Father of the Bride, Four Weddings and a Funeral), and the Netflix Original Ali's Wedding is the latest example of this. As Ali (played by Osamah Sami) is forced to follow through with an arranged marriage, his heart can't help but follow the girl he actually has feelings for. As charming as it is complicated, Ali's Wedding explores the all-too-familiar scenario of not always getting what you want out of love.
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Catching Feelings
A Netflix Original, Catching Feelings is a complicated comedy with romance, but the heavy-handedness of its subject material steers it away from being a classic rom-com. After a writer temporarily moves in with a happily married couple named Sam and Max (played by Pearl Thusi and Kagiso Lediga, respectively), problems arise. Sam is smitten, Max is worried, and their relationship may not have the strength to survive whatever sexual misadventures may or may not ensue.
Page 2: Classic Rom-Coms On Netflix
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson's first period piece, Moonrise Kingdom, is a whimsical story about young love in 1960s New England. After twelve-year-olds Sam and Suzy (played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, respectively) run away together to escape their emotionally taxing lives, their friends and family initiate a search party to bring the kids back home. With Anderson's trademark style, an Oscar-nominated screenplay, and understated, but deliciously eccentric performances from actors like Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, and Edward Norton (not to mention the two young breakout stars), Moonrise Kingdom isn't your run-of-the-mill rom-com, but that doesn't take away from its brilliance.
Obvious Child
In Obvious Child, Jenny Slate (Hotel Artemis, Bob's Burgers) plays a struggling standup comic named Donna Stern whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets a graduate student named Max (played by Jake Lacy). However, instead of her fling turning into a classic example of girls-meets-boy, Donna finds out that she's pregnant and must decide whether or not Max has the right to know that she's not planning on keeping the baby. Also starring Gaby Hoffman, David Cross, and Richard Kind, Obvious Child speaks to the uncomfortable truths of dating and the taboo topics some people aren't keen on discussing.
Mamma Mia!
Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, and directly inspired by the music of the Swedish pop group Abba, Mamma Mia! centers around a young, soon-to-be-wed woman named Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfried) who invites three older men to her wedding, assuming that one of them must be her father. As she undergoes a comedic process of elimination, her independent mother Donna (played by Meryl Streep) is almost too overwhelmed by the situation to play along. The movie also stars Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, and Stellan Skarsgård, and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, was released in theaters in July 2018.
Related: Meryl Streep's Role In Mamma Mia 2 Is Kind Of Genius
Something New
Something New is a romantic comedy that doesn't just deal with the complications of love, but race as well. At its core, the romantic entanglements between busy bee Kenya McQueen (played by Sanaa Lathan) and architect Brian Kelly (played by Simon Baker) follow the same love/hate trappings of classic rom-coms like It Happened One Night and 10 Things I Hate About You, but within the context of an interracial relationship. Kenya must ultimately choose between familiarity and - as the title implies - "something new." The movie also stars Taraji P. Henson, Blair Underwood, Donald Faison, and Alfre Woodard.
Love Actually
From writer/director Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, About Time), Love Actually tells nine different love stories - some charming, some heartbreaking - that all intertwine over the course of the few weeks leading up to Christmas. One revolves around a brand new Prime Minister (played by Hugh Grant) falling for his secretary (played by Martine McCutcheon), one revolves around a married couple (played by Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman) whose brush with infidelity threatens their relationship, and another around a recently widowed husband (played by Liam Neeson) who helps his young stepson (played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster) win the heart of his crush. It's a charming, sometimes silly, and very busy rom-com, and it's become something of a holiday classic over the years.
Just Friends
Before he was Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds starred in the over-the-top romantic comedy Just Friends opposite Anna Faris, Amy Smart, and Chris Klein. Reynolds plays nerd-turned-record exec Chris Brander as he returns home for the holidays with his girlfriend Samantha (played by Faris), who also happens to be a narcissistic pop singer. Only, during his short trip home, he starts to rekindle feelings for his childhood crush and best friend Jamie (played by Smart), which sets in motion one catastrophic disaster after the next (mostly at his expense).
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Bridget Jones's Baby
The third and latest entry in the Bridget Jones film series (based on the book series from author Helen Fielding), Bridget Jones's Baby revisits the titular character twelve years after Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Bridget (played by Renée Zellweger) becomes a singleton yet again after breaking up with Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth). Only, when she meets and falls for Jack Qwant (played by Patrick Dempsey), her new attempt at romance is interrupted when she not only finds out she's pregnant, but must determine which of the two men is the father. The movie also stars Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, and Celia Imrie.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Most love stories start at the beginning of a relationship; Forgetting Sarah Marshall starts at the end. After TV star Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell) unexpectedly dumps her longtime boyfriend Peter (played by Jason Segel), he attempts to win her back by following her to Hawaii. However, when he discovers that she's already seeing someone new - an eccentric musician named Aldous Snow (played by Russell Brand) - he finds comfort in the support of his hotel's concierge Rachel (played by Mila Kunis). The movie also stars Paul Rudd, Maria Thayer, Jack McBrayer, and Jonah Hill (who, incidentally, starred alongside Brand in the spinoff comedy Get Him to the Greek).
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Love is complicated, unexpected, and sometimes dangerous. For proof, watch Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. This rom-com follows Nick (played by Michael Cera) and Norah (played by Kat Dennings) as they spend the night not only tracking down Norah's drunk friend Caroline (played by Ari Graynor) and realizing that they have similar tastes in music, but inadvertently falling for each other. Based on the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a romantic odyssey revolving around literal intoxication and the romantic kind.
Page 3: Alternative Rom-Coms on Netflix
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Some romantic comedies don't play by traditional rules - and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a prime example of this. After Clementine (played by Kate Winslet) not only breaks up with her boyfriend Joel (played by Jim Carrey), but has him removed from her memory, Joel impulsively does the same, only to regret his decision mid-procedure. With screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry at the helm, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a weird and disorienting dive into the rash decisions we make in relationships, as well as the inevitability of love.
Her
A slightly one-sided love story, Spike Jonze's Her (which earned the writer/director his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay) explores the future of romance. When Theodore (played by Joaquin Phoenix) struggles with getting over his divorce, he finds some peace in an artificially intelligent voice assistant (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) with whom he can't help but fall in love. It's a strange concept, but deeply affecting, charming, and bittersweet, with Theodore beginning to understand the significance of human interactions, despite the potential heartache. The movie also stars Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde.
Beautiful Girls
Beautiful Girls is an ensemble that is certainly a romance and certainly a comedy, but can hardly be labeled as a traditional romantic comedy. When Willie Conway (played by Timothy Hutton) returns to his hometown for his 10-year high school reunion, he's surrounded by love in all of its problematic forms. Willie is enthralled by his friend's cousin (played by Uma Thurman), despite already having a girlfriend; his friend Tommy (played by Matt Dillon) is having an affair with his high school girlfriend (played by Lauren Holly); and a young girl named Marty (played by Natalie Portman) forms of a crush with Willie. And that's just scratching the surface. Beautiful Girls is a comedically realistic slice of the '90s, with its standout moment definitely being the singalong sequence involving Willie, a packed bar, and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline."
Adventureland
First and foremost, Adventureland is a coming-of-age story. Set in 1987, Jesse Eisenberg plays a college graduate named James who has no other choice but to take on a summer job at a crummy amusement park before his long-awaited trip to Europe. Among all the other colorful characters working there, he befriends/forms a crush on Em (played by Kristen Stewart) who is already in the throes of romance with someone else. Adventureland was marketed as a typical, over-the-top teen comedy, but it turned out to be a much colder, realistic portrayal of growing up and coming to terms with life's unexpected misfortunes.
Drinking Buddies
Mutual attraction can be charming. When it's happening between two people who are already in devoted relationships of their own, however, it's a recipe for trouble. In Drinking Buddies, this is exactly what happens between co-workers Kate and Luke (played by Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson, respectively). However, it's less a hijinks-fueled rom-com than it is a heavy exploration into what it really means to be committed, and whether commitment is always worth the effort. The movie also stars Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston, and Jason Sudeikis.
I Love You, Man
I Love You, Man definitely has the makeup of a romantic comedy, but its narrative framework breaks the rules. Though it does revolve around a recently engaged couple (played by Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones) and their relationship, it veers off course when Rudd's character Peter realizes that he has no real best friend to be best man at his wedding. So, he embarks on a journey to essentially date around in the attempt to make friends. And, though his platonic relationship with Sydney (played by Jason Segel) is adorable, it's not romantic in the traditional sense, and is therefore not a straightforward rom-com.
Meet the Parents
Similar to I Love You, Man, Meet the Parents starts off like your run-of-the-mill rom-com, with Ben Stiller's Greg trying to find the perfect time to propose to his girlfriend Pam (played by Teri Polo). Only, things take a turn when he discovers that Pam's father Jack (played by Robert De Niro) would respect Greg more if he asked for his blessing. When Jack turns out be borderline psychopathic in his attempt to keep his daughter from marrying, Greg jumps through so many ridiculous hoops that marrying the love of his life may not even be worth the struggle. The movie also stars Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, and Tom McCarthy.
More: 18 Comedies So Funny You'll Cry With Laughter
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